Growth and Opportunities in the Industry

Market Size and Expansion

The personal training industry has seen a substantial increase in the number of trainers, especially in the digital realm. The proliferation of online training platforms has allowed for an expansion in the number of certified personal trainers offering their services remotely.

As of 2024, there are approximately 728 thousand personal training businesses, marking a 4.8% annualized growth rate since 2016​​.

In the United States, which accounts for a substantial 44% of the global market, the personal training industry boasted 326,000 personal trainers as of 2021.

This growth trajectory is expected to continue at an annualized rate of 3.1% until 2026.

Industry Revenue

According to the most recent statistics, the personal training industry has seen a growth of more than 50% from $8.5 billion in revenue in 2012 to a forecast of $12.9 billion in 2021.

This marks an annualized 5.4% increase in industry revenue from 2016 to 2021 and a 2.2% growth in 2021 alone.

The annual median wage of personal trainers was $40,700 in 2021, with the online segment often commanding higher rates due to the flexibility and scalability of services.

Based on the annualized growth rate of 1.75%, the projected annual median wage of personal trainers in 2024 is approximately $42,874.36. 

These shifts are influenced by factors such as consumer disposable income, the emergence of new market segments and opportunities, a growing emphasis on leisure and sports, the rise of niche markets, and an increasing awareness of health and wellness.

The median hourly wage of personal trainers was $19.57 in 2021, an increase from $15.25 in 2012.

This is an annualized growth rate of 2.81%.

Personal Trainer Employment

In 2021, the distribution of personal trainer employment across the United States showcased significant geographical variances. The states leading in employment numbers for personal trainers were:

• California: Leading the chart with 25,200 personal trainer jobs.
  

• Texas: Following with 17,000 jobs in the personal training sector.
  

• Florida: Close behind with 14,900 personal training jobs.

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Focusing on specific metropolitan areas, the top regions for personal trainer employment in 2021 were:

• New York-Newark-Jersey City: At the forefront with 14,200 personal training jobs.
  

• Chicago-Naperville-Elgin: Next with 9,900 jobs.
  

• Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim: With 8,300 jobs in the personal training industry.

Furthermore, location quotients played a crucial role in highlighting areas where personal training jobs were more prevalent compared to the national average. A location quotient greater than 1 suggests a higher concentration of employment than the average.

In 2021, the top states with the highest location quotients for personal trainers were:

• Montana: With a location quotient of 2.03, indicating that personal trainer jobs were over twice as prevalent in Montana compared to the U.S. average.
  

• Colorado: Holding a location quotient of 1.77.
  

• Rhode Island: With a location quotient of 1.52.

These statistics provide a detailed perspective on the employment landscape for personal trainers in the United States in 2021, highlighting both the top states for overall employment and those with the highest relative concentration of jobs in the field.